At Game World, about strategies and communication during the state of alert
Andrei Frimescu and Attila “Otto” Torok, on how to apply strategy, but also communication during the crisis.
What do the new restrictions mean for traditional gambling?
The gambling industry has been going through a period of restrictions for a year and a half, alternating with relaxation, in parallel with changes in the regulations regarding the operation of businesses, starting from the operating hours, ensuring internal health safety measures, physical distance from customers and the capacity limit of the rooms up to the conditions of access – respectively with vaccination certificate or proof of passing through the disease and so on.
What makes this period even more difficult is the unpredictability of these measures. To give an example, only in the last two months there was a short period of time in which customers were allowed access to the game rooms based on a negative test. We have organized and invested the necessary resources to provide customers with a testing service at our locations. All this logistical effort ended abruptly when the conditions changed again and the testing was abandoned. Adapting on the go, as we have all been trying to do in our industry for more than 18 months, is not a long-term sustainable strategy.
Has the number of players decreased since the green pass is required?
The number of customers has indeed dropped significantly. It is a logical consequence of the restrictions imposed by the authorities, but also an effect of the concerns and uncertainty that people feel. It would not have been otherwise, given that we are limited to a maximum capacity of 50%.
Under these conditions, any planning efforts are virtually irrelevant. Simply put, the situation changes from day to day, with the incidence figures and the response of the authorities. We are in a situation where we could not even make comparisons from one month to another, to see clearly what is happening, simply because we are evolving in different conditions.
Attila “Otto” Torok
Has the players’ appetite for the game been preserved? Do they play the same amounts, do they play less?
It is obvious that the decrease in the number of customers is correlated with the changes in the mix and the behavior of the players. Certain customer segments – for example “Fun Players” – have fallen sharply. The frequency of returning customers and the duration of visits also decreased. As for the players who remained active during this period, we can say that they kept their betting level.
From a strategy point of view, have the new restrictions led to a mandatory change of strategy? How did you adapt?
In these conditions we are obliged to adapt and we are constantly looking for solutions to offer customers the same premium experience characteristic of Game World. It is important for us to convey the certainty that our rooms are absolutely safe, both for our customers and for all colleagues.
Thus, in February we were the first network of game rooms in Romania to obtain the international certification DEKRA Trusted Facility / Trusted location for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. At the end of the 6 months of validity, we resumed the audit process and obtained this certification again, so that all Game World rooms are considered reliable locations due to the rigorous health measures and the way all employees are trained and act.
In addition, Game World has invested considerably in various sanitary materials, separators, electronic automatic temperature scanning devices, disinfectant dispensers, surface disinfection equipment with ozone-based technology, etc. and more recently in the testing service offered free of charge to customers.
Regarding the offer, as a leader in the category of premium game rooms, we remained consistent in supporting the aspects that differentiate us: the quality of services, the ambiance of Game World rooms, the mix of games, jackpots and promotions with prizes.
Andrei Frimescu
How have the new restrictions changed the marketing plans and messages, but also the communication with the public?
Certain messages have not changed at all, despite the pandemic and the difficult situation in our field. Game World will always promote responsibility and will remain a promoter of responsible gaming.
On the other hand, I also communicated specific messages. We promoted vaccination among employees and actively supported the pro-vaccination campaign organized by Romslot in collaboration with other representative associations in the gambling industry. Currently, two thirds of Game World employees are vaccinated, more than double the vaccination rate of the general population. A similar situation is registering at the level of the entire industry, a sector in which more than 40,000 people work, which is an additional argument for the game rooms to remain open.
With the decrease in the number of cases and the return to a so-called normality, are you ready to return to the original strategy or has it changed definitively and irreversibly?
Our positioning remains the same – premium services, of the best quality, for a unique customer experience, in a safe environment from all points of view. We remain consistent and will continue to strengthen this position built in over 22 activities in Romania.
Our strategy will change only in the direction we are already working to build an omni-channel experience at the level of the Game World brand. Thus, the barriers that currently exist between the gaming experience in the online casino and in the Game World rooms will be blurred or completely eliminated.
